9.2.2.1/22/19 THE SELECTIVE DRAFT LAW. TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1918. UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to the call of the chairman, at 10.30 a. m., in the committee room, Capitol Building, Hon. George E. Chamberlain presiding. Present: Senators Chamberlain (chairman), Fletcher, Sheppard, Kirby, Reed, McKellar, Smith, Wadsworth, New, Johnson. STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. ENOCH H. CROWDER. The CHAIRMAN. Gen. Crowder, will you please state your rank and present assignment of duty? Gen. CROWDER. I am Judge Advocate General and have been since February 11, 1911. At the present time I am acting as Provost Marshal General, under the designation of the President, dated May 22, 1917. The CHAIRMAN. The committee has under consideration the bill S. 4856, to amend sections 2, 4, and 5 of an act entitled "An act to authorize the President to increase temporarily the Military Establishment of the United States," approved May 18, 1917, and for other purposes, which was introduced in the Senate yesterday by me and referred to this committee. It is the bill which was prepared by the War Department and handed to me with the request that it be introduced and considered by the committee and by the Congress. Will you take up the bill and explain the purposes of it to the committee, and the members of the committee then may want to ask you some questions in reference to it? Gen. CROWDER. There is very little new matter in the bill. It contains three or four authorizations, but is in other respects a reenactment of the existing law. The first authorization that I encounter in looking over the bill is the substitution of the ages 18 and 45 for the ages 21 and 30 in the original bill. I take it that requires no explanation. The second authorization is found in lines 6 to 8, page 2, of the bill. The effect of the proviso there inserted is to authorize the President, in his discretion, to call these men out by annual classes or to defer groups of annual classes as the exigencies of the service may permit and as his judgment is advised. Senator REED. Where is that language? Gen. CROWDER. Lines 6 to 8, on page 2. I have been made aware by debates in both Houses of a view that certain annual classes ought to be called before certain other annual classes are called. There 3 |